The Battalion
Serving the Texas A&M University community
F 74 No. 149 Tuesday, May 5, 1981 USPS 045 360
1 ^ a 9 e s College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611
The Weather
Today
High 79
Low 60
Chance of rain 40%
Tomorrow
High 81
Low 62
Chance of rain 40%
jSands dies,
unleashes riots
United Press International
BELFAST, Northern Ireland — IRA
jrisoner Bobby Sands died today on the
i6th day of an uncompromising hunger
itrike, a gold crucifix in his hands, and
housands of Catholics burned build-
ngs and showered police with gasoline
lombs in an almost instantaneous ram-
iage.
“There are hundreds and hundreds
if them here and we cannot contain
hem,” a police car in Catholic West
Jelfast radioed within hours of the
iannouncement that Sands, 27, had died
I n Maze Prison with his mother, father,
irother and sister at his bedside.
For three hours of darkness after he
lied, the Catholic ghettos rose in fury,
lurling gasoline bombs and stones at
iecurity forces, throwing barricades
icross streets, burning buidings and hi-
acking cars.
But the spasm was brief and not dead-
y, Police said no injuries had been re-
wrted.
“Mr. Robert Sands, a prisoner in the
tee, died at 1:17 a. m. He took his own
ife by refusing food and medical inter-
ffintion,” the brief official statement by
he Northern Ireland Office said.
There was no immediate statement
bm the members of Sands’ family at his
side when he died — his mother,
itosaleen; his father, John; a sister, Mar-
xlla, 26, and brother, John, 19. The
our left Maze Prison within an hour of
Sands’ death.
Sands, who was serving 14 years for
possession of firearms but was elected to
the British Parliament while on his fast,
maintained he was a “political prisoner
ofwar.” He had turned down all appeals
to end his strike to win political conces
sions for IRA prisoners — a demand
Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher had rejected just as adamant
ly, maintaining he was a common cri
minal.
j In the end, the young man had
wasted into' a skeletal figure, looking
[like a “90-year-old man,” said Oliver
Hughes, brother of another IRA hun
ger striker.
Sands spent his last day Monday,
blind and in a coma on a waterbed,
clutching a gold crucifix while his
mother, father, brother and sister
prayed at his bedside.
Hugh Atkins, Britain’s top official in
the province, called Sands’ starvation
death “needless and pointless,” and
appealed for calm in the six counties,
which Britain rules directly from Lon
don. Bombing and violence have killed
more than 2,000 in 10 years of strife in
Ulster.
Despite calls Sunday by Sands’
mother for no violence on the death of
her son. Catholics streamed into the
streets in the early morning hours as the
news of his death spread.
“They’re out with the bin lids,” a
police spokesman said describing the
traditional IRA rallying call beaten out
on garbage can lids.
Three hours after Sands died, six
buildings had been gutted by fire in
Catholic areas, including a bank, a pap
er mill, a paint shop and an abandoned
Methodist church.
Belfast’s Oxford Street bus station
was set ablaze, and a burning panel
truck blocked the railway lines near Bel
fast Central station.
Police said no injuries had been re
ported in the first spasm of violence and
as first light filtered through a heavy
mist, the mobs melted away.
In Londonderry where rioting nor
mally is worse than in Belfast, hundreds
of people gathered in pre-dawn dark
ness and sat silently on the open square
in front of the town’s city hall.
All factions in embattled Northern
Ireland expressed fear Sands’ death
would touch off a small-scale holocaust,
and prominent figures in both camps
have made fervent appeals to avoid vio
lence.
The most poignant came from Sands
mother, Sunday. “My son has offered
his life for better conditions in prison,
but not to cause further death, ” she said
tearfully.
X 3 B49
o
Photo by Carolyn Tiller
Dead week dilemma strikes again
It looks like party time is long gone for this freshman theater arts
major from San Antonio. These signs appearing on Anne Suite’s
door on consecutive nights this week probably reflect the frustra
tions of many students suffering from the let-me-out-of-this-place,
dead-week blues as they attempt to do a semester’s work in the few
remaining days before final exams. Finals begin Monday at 8 a.m.
Q-Huts undergo administrative, user policy changes
Huts, estimated at a cost of $500,000. “This would include
air-conditioning, electrical improvements, a new sound sys
tem, tile floor, new lights and road work,” Bergen said.
The huts were built in the ’40s or early ’50s, and then in
1973 they were renovated to be used for party rooms in 1973,
Nolen Mears, Corps area coordinator, said. Mears helped
make the Quonset Huts available to students.
By MARTY BLAISE .
Battalion Reporter
. Now is the time to make arrangements to reserve the
Quonset Huts for parties next fall — but don’t go to the YMC A
|Building to do so.
! Administration of the Quonset Huts have been transferred
from the Department of Student Affairs to the Department of
'Student Activities.
[ “Reservations to use the huts next fall will be made in my
office, 221 Memorial Student Center,’’ Dave Bergen, student
activities adviser, said. Bergen volunteered to be in charge of
the huts.
■ The reason for the departmental change, Bergen said, was
the fact that the Department of Student Activities handles
outdoor facilities, including Hensel Park, and it was decided
the Quonset Huts should fall under the same jurisdiction.
; The Quonset Huts, two round-roofed metal buildings off
Highway 60 near Easterwood Airport, are commonly know to
Texas A&M students as the “Q-Huts” — a good, economical
place to throw a party. The huts, originally used for physical
plant storage, became available to dormitories in 1976.
Bergen said Ron Blatchley, director of student affairs, sub
mitted a proposal to Dr. John Koldus, vice president of
student services, to transfer administration of the Quonset
huts, and Koldus approved the change. Accompanying the
departmental transfer are also some changes in policy regard
ing use of the Quonset Huts, Bergen said.
Policy changes include the following items:
—Reservations to use the huts will be made at the same
time all other University reservations are made — Nov. 15 for
spring semesters and April 15 for fall semesters. However,
since April 15 has already passed, fall reservations for this year
were first accepted Monday.
—Check deposits for renting the huts will be taken the day
before the event to eliminate extra paperwork. Deposits will
be returned after the organization checks out properly.
—User fees will be increased. New rates will be $50 for
Monday through Thursday and $75 for Friday through
Sunday.
—Sound system fees will increase to $30.
Bergen said deposits and disc jockey fees will remain the
same. Deposits are $50 a night for Monday through Thursday
and $75 a night for Friday through Sunday. Disc jockey fees
are $40 a night.
“Priorities for the huts will also be changed. The Q-Huts
will be available to all University organizations on a first-
come, first-served basis,” Bergen said.
The Department of Student Activities has also submitted a
proposal to the president’s office for $15,000 to be allocated to
the Quonset Huts.
“The department is asking for $10,000 for repairs, and
$5,000 to conduct a feasibility study for comprehensive plans
to improve the buildings,” Bergen said.
He said the highest priority repairs regard leaking roofs
and the replacement of foam ceiling insulation. Other re
pairs are also needed, along with the need for three to five
box fans, he said.
There are future plans for total renovation of the Quonset
Mears said renovation was first completed on Hut B which
opened in the spring of 1976. Hut A opened in the spring of
1977, he said. “The huts were originally designed to give
dorms a place to have parties at low costs,” he said.
However, Texas A&M now wants to make the Quonset
Huts an all-purpose facility to be used for banquets, recep
tions and classrooms, Mears said.
Both Mears and Bergen cited financial problems as the
main delay in current renovation of the huts. Bergen said if
the $15,000 proposal goes through, however, it will be a big
step.
May have to cancel news program
Budget cuts threaten KAMU-TV
S By PAMELA EADES
Battalion Reporter
! If Congress approves President
Reagan’s proposed budget which re
quests massive reductions in federal
spending, KAMU-TV stands to lose
$56,000.
The package of budget cuts is being
f evaluated by Congress and its final re
commendation should be out this sum
mer. Among the proposed cuts is a 25-
percent reduction in the funding for the
i Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The CPB is a federal agency which pro
vides funds to PBS stations for program
ming purchases.
KAMU-TV, which is owned and op
erated by Texas A&M University, is the
Public Broadcasting Service station in
College v ^tion. The station receives
about $225,000, or a little less than a
third of its budget from the CPB.
Rodger Lewis, the program director
for the station, says the station may have
to cut back everywhere possible if the
budget cuts are approved.
“One thing we might have to do, if it
really comes right down to it, is we
might have to cancel the news,” Lewis
said.
The 15 News program costs the sta
tion $300 a night to produce.
Mel Chastain, general manager of
KAMU-TV, expressed little concern ab
out the issue. Budget constraints will
always be a part of public broadcasting
and rightfully so, he said.
“If we re doing something worth
while, we should be able to generate the
funds to keep doing that (broadcasting).
If we re not doing something worth
while, they (the federal government)
ought to pull the plug,” Chastain said.
But, Chastain said he thinks the sta
tion will survive even if the budget cuts
are approved — the station has survived
budget cuts before.
Since 1975 the University has been
gradually reducing its support of
KAMU and allowing the station to
appeal for public donations. Currently,
the University pays for most of the facul
ty and staff salaries at KAMU-TV.
Viewer contributions make up about
20 percent of the total KAMU-TV
budget. This money, projected at
$138,000 for 1981, is used to help buy
programming.
Funds are raised in several ways.
Three festivals or pledge drives and an
auction are held each year. Underwrit
ing, the sponsoring of particular prog
ramming by individuals and businesses,
and volunteer services also raise funds.
Viewers and underwriters seem to be
responding to the station’s pleas with
more of their dollars to replace the
money it might lose.
All of the KAMU-TV fund-raising
projects this year have been successful,
collecting significantly more money
than the goals set for them at the begin
ning of the year. The third annual auc
tion, held April 5 through 9, raised
$28,279, 40 percent more than its
$20,000 goal. That’s about 87 percent
more than the $15,677 the auction
raised last year.
The station has been so successful in
raising money from the public that it has
been able to purchase a universal buy
from PBS for the second consecutive
year. The universal buy includes all the
programs produced by PBS. The cost —
just under $100,000.
Nationally, viewers also seem to be
contributing more to PBS stations. Af
ter a March festival, viewers had
pledged an average of $38.57 to the 134
stations involved in the drive. The aver
age pledge last year was $34.26. The
usual pledge during a KAMU-TV festiv
al is between $16 and $24.
In order to determine what the pub
lic wants its dollars to buy, each donor is
asked to comment on favorite programs,
but the public survey method has flaws.
Lewis said people might say the prog
ramming is excellent, but they might
not watch it.
“What people said and what people
do are not always the same. That’s the
reason that commercial stations and
advertisers rely so heavily upon the rat
ings,” he said.
KAMU-TV cannot rely on the same
ratings system used by commercial sta
tions, however, because the Bryan-
College Station community is too small.
Other methods would be too expensive.
The most popular programs at
KAMU-TV seem to be science and arts
programs — the most expensive prog
ramming the station airs, Lewis said.
“That’s why the commercial networks
haven’t really gotten into them (science
and arts programs). They can feed you
garbage at a very low price,” he said.
The most expensive program the sta
tion will air next year is Playhouse, a
series similar to Masterpiece Theater. It
will cost more than $18,000 a year. The
MacNeil-Lehrer Report, another popu
lar program, will be back next also for
more than $18,000.
In addition to increasing appeals for
viewer contributions, the station might
have to cut back on broadcast hours and
the variety of programming it offers.
This has been done before.
Only last year did KAMU-TV expand
its hours to include weekday mornings.
The station was able to do this because
of increased viewer support.
Also for the first time, the station was
able to purchase the universal buy last
year. It was able to do so again this year,
but without the CPB funds next year, it
might have to go back to purchasing
individual programs. This is more ex
pensive and will force the station to
choose which programs are the most
important.
Placement Center
deemed superior
By WAYNE COOK
Battalion Reporter
The Texas A&M University Place
ment Center has been ranked best
among major western schools by re
cruiters of college graduates.
“We are very proud,” Lou Van
Pelt, director of the Texas A&M
Placement Center, said.
The center’s services combined
with the quality of Texas A&M gra
duates attract recruiters, many of
which return year after year, he said.
“If you don’t have a good product
to sell, you won’t sell it more than
once,” Van Pelt said. “Recruiters
continue to come because of the
track record of those they’ve hired
before.”
Van Pelt said approximately 60
percent of graduating seniors use at
least one of the services the Place
ment Center provides. Besides
scheduling interviews with recrui
ters, the center provides job-
hunting literature and will help stu
dents prepare resumes.
Industry recruiters are reserving
interview space through the Place
ment Center as far as two years in
advance and to meet demand during
peak recruiting periods it is open 12
hours a day.
Van Pelt said the office this year
arranged between 35,000 and 40,000
interviews.
Western College Placement
Association Inc. conducted the sur
vey of 426 employers regarding 139
schools. Schools were categorized by
enrollment, with Texas A&M classi
fied in the 25,000 or more category.
Private and public schools in Ari
zona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Oregon, Utah, Washington, New
Mexico, Nevada and Texas were
ranked.
Each school was ranked from poor
to outstanding in nine separate
areas.
The areas considered were phy
sical facilities, availability of com
pany literature, quality of student
data forms, interviewing reception
and assistance, candidates meeting
listed specifications, student prepa
ration, professional staff commit
ment, faculty interest and overall
quality.
Texas A&M placed first in seven
areas and second in two areas to gain
first in the overall ranking.
The rankings of other schools in
the survey are unavailable to Texas
A&M officials as each school in the
survey received only its own results.
“It (the survey) was done the way
it was done to give each institution
the knowledge of where they placed
in the categories that the employers
felt important,” Van Pelt said.
Although he was pleased with the
Texas A&M’s rank, Van Pelt said one
improvement of the center he would
like to see would be to automate
some procedures.
if'